Carpe Diem
by AlexisPryce
Summary: (W/F) What happens when you just don't take that chance? - New Part II Added!
1. Regret Inevitably Follows

Carpe Diem - By Alexis Pryce  
  
Genre: Romance/Humor  
Disclaimer: I'm not Joss. I don't own anyone. Have a nice day.  
Rating: R - Not sure if it'll live up to or exceed this rating yet...it's still under major developments. Keep watching.  
Ships: Wesley/Fred, Implied Angel/Cordelia  
Spoilers: Dad  
  
  
Chapter 1 - Regret Inevitably Follows  
  
The rain fell hard in Los Angeles that night. It covered the ground, making it glisten in the cloudy moonlight. A baby cried out within the confinements of a car. Angel looked down at his new son, his eyes filled with wonder.   
  
"Anyone got anything dry that we can wrap him in?" He looked around. He was soaked, along with Fred. Cordelia, who sat next to him, shed her sweater and wrapped the baby in the fuzzy pink warmth. She took the baby and cradled him in her arms, shushing him.  
  
Angel watched her, feeling a pang in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head, watching the baby.  
  
Fred turned around from the front seat. "He's beautiful, Angel." She shivered underneath Angel's leather coat.  
  
Angel stroked the baby's head and felt the fine hair underneath his fingertips. He kissed the baby's head softly. The baby quieted down and began to drift off to sleep. Cordelia smiled up at Angel. "He really is."  
  
Wesley glanced over at Fred. Her beautiful brown eyes looked at the child with a sense of longing, wanting to have a chance to have her own. He couldn't help but smile. She was gorgeous. Her hair was twisted into long, wet, wavy tendrils, which fell down to her chest. She shivered a bit underneath Angel's jacket, the cold bite of the rainwater getting to her. He reached out and touched her arm with a warm smile, then continued to look at the road.  
  
Fred felt Wesley's touch and smiled at him. His face was a little dirt stained from the explosion at Caritas and the work he'd done to save Darla and the child. He was a hero. He would forever be the guardian of this darling child that Cordelia now held in her arms. Fred turned away and looked at the baby, who was now sleeping. She reached out and touched his tiny hand, which reflexively curled around her fingertip. She smiled, wondering what the future held for him or who he would be.   
  
Gunn sighed, uninterested in the child. He stared out the window, watching rain fall on the streets of Los Angeles. He knew that the baby meant dirty diapers and midnight feedings that he would most likely have to take care of. Without a mother, what would come of the baby? Would Cordelia and Fred have to be the surrogates? He could imagine himself, Wesley, and Angel all trying to play the 'father figure'. This life was too dangerous for the kid. Gunn looked over at Angel. From the look in his eyes, Charles could tell that Angel would kill anyone who stood in his way between he and that baby. Nobody who had cruel intentions would think of touching that child or they would most certainly die.  
  
***  
  
Angel cooed softly at the child, rocking him in his arms. The baby boy continued to cry softly in the unfamiliar arms of his father. Fred shivered in the corner of the room, watching from afar. Wesley cleaned his glasses on his shirt, his eyes looking around at everyone. Cordelia sat in a chair, pinching the space between her nose and her forehead, attempting to relieve a headache.   
  
Quiet as a mouse, Fred took off the jacket that she had been wearing and set it lightly on the banister of the staircase. She then tiptoed up the staircase, heading for her room. Out of the corner of his eye, Wesley caught her. He followed, just as quiet.  
  
Fred sighed softly once she thought she was out of earshot, letting a tear fall. It fell partly out of happiness, partly out of regret. She stopped next to her door and sunk down to the floor, burying her face in her wet arms. She sniffled and let out another, slightly shakier sigh.  
  
Wesley approached quietly. "Fred...are you alright?" He knelt to her level.  
  
Fred stood up fast, knocking Wesley onto his backside. He held his nose in pain. "Ow." He whispered.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry Wesley! You scared me! I didn't mean to...Oh geez...I'm so sorry. Here let me go get some ice for ya, it'll make the swellin' go down...." She walked back towards the staircase, wiping her eyes. Wesley grabbed her hand.   
  
"No really, it's okay, Fred. Just a bump. I've had worse." He smiled as he stood up. "I think you're in worse shape than I am."  
  
Fred sniffled. "I'm fine." She smiled.  
  
"You sure?" He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.  
  
Fred nodded, stepping back towards her room. "I'm just happy about the baby." She laughed. "Happy tears."  
  
Wesley smiled. "I know. I'm overjoyed." Deep in his heart, something tugged. He could tell that she wasn't crying because of the baby.  
  
Fred looked down at her feet and swallowed hard. "I umm...should probably be going to bed now."  
  
"Right. Me too." He took a step backwards and let out a breath. "Well...umm..." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to make a life-changing decision. "Goodnight."  
  
Fred nodded. "Goodnight." She turned and closed her eyes as she opened her door and walked in, closing it behind her.  
  
Wesley shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the hallway towards the stairs. The Hyperion was silent as he left. Angel was probably trying to put Connor to sleep, Cordelia was probably heading for home, and Gunn was probably cleaning his weapons. Wesley got in the car and closed the door, sitting for a moment. Thoughts ran through his head at a fast, pounding pace. //Why didn't you do it? You've been dying to kiss her since you met her. What's the worst that could happen? You should go back and get her. No, wait...she could be asleep. Don't. Wait until later. Maybe you should ask her out. Goodness knows you're obsessed with her. Oh, Wesley...get over her. She'd never want you. ...But what if she did?// He shook his head and started the car, heading for home.  
  
Fred blinked, staring at a blank spot on recently-painted walls. She had to resist the urge to grab a marker and write down all her feelings. She scratched at the carpet on which she sat. She grabbed small handfuls of the material and squeezed, wondering what would have happened if she had made a move on Wesley. //Would he reject me? Would he be insulted? I'm sure he's much too important for me. Just like Angel. Why would he want me? Angel didn't want me. I'm not good enough for him. I wasn't good enough for Angel. I guess you've either got to be Cordelia or Buffy to get anywhere in this world. You've got to be good enough for Angel to get through to anyone. I can always dream. Dreams are always there.// Fred stripped out of her wet clothes and climbed into bed, holding her pillow in her arms.  
  
Another pair of eyes had seen the exchange. They looked sad, having been able to read the auras of the two young people. They just didn't see. They were blind to each other's affection. Lorne shook his head. He sighed, realizing there was only one thing to do. He pulled out his cell phone and made a call.  
  
"Harlia? Yeah. Hiya, doll. It's Lorne. Thanks, you? Great! Listen, babe. I got a favor to ask ya." He smiled as he talked with the young witch and ducked into his room. 


	2. Double the Confusion, Double the Fun

Wesley woke up a little sore, but fully rested. He yawned and stretched, reaching onto the bedside table for his glasses. Slowly, he stood and walked towards the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the shower. After only a few moments to let the water heat up, he stepped under the steaming hot jets. He closed his eyes and leaned into the water, letting it cleanse his face. Ever since a few days ago, his thoughts had been nothing but Fred. Fred this, Fred that. Never a thought about anything else. Was she an obsession or was it love?  
  
The phone rang. Wesley jumped and snapped back to reality. He realized what it was and relaxed again. Turning off the water, he got out and wrapped a towel around his scarred and beaten body. The shrill ring of the phone stopped. Wesley looked at the door as if he could see through it. //Machine must be broken.// He opened the door and walked out, heading for the dark closet.  
  
***  
  
Fred woke up to a ringing phone. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around. She found the phone and picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" She croaked into the reciever.  
  
"Fred? Sorry, hon...I know you're supposed to be on vacation and all, but Angel and I are going out tonight. Do you think you and Wesley could come over and watch Connor for us?" Cordy's voice answered.  
  
Fred yawned. "Sure." She smiled and hung up the phone, pulling her pillow over her head and attempting to fall back to sleep.  
  
As she closed her eyes, Fred heard the sound of a door opening. She froze and let her eyes dart around in the darkness underneath her pillow. She stopped her breathing for just a moment to listen. No more sounds. Fred sighed at herself and turned over.   
  
//You're just being your crazy old self, Fred.//  
  
***  
Wesley emerged from the closet, fully dressed. He walked towards his bed and began to make it, tugging at the sheets, trying to fold them down. He frowned as a lump on the opposite side decided to be particularly stubborn. He tugged one last time and the side of the bed moved. Wesley jumped back, seeing a bare arm fall over the sheet.  
  
//Oh my Lord...there's a body in my bed.// Wesley tiptoed around to the other side of the bed and swallowed hard, preparing himself for the worst. He squinched his eyes closed and threw back the covers, opening his eyes quickly.  
  
Fred jumped and screamed, staring at Wesley. Wesley's eyes met her as he screamed as well. They both stopped. Wesley blushed and turned away, catching a glimpse of Fred's not-so-covered body.   
  
Fred snatched the covers back and caught her breath. "Wes - Wesley! What are you doing here? And...and throwin' off my covers like that?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Fred...but you seem to be in *my* apartment." He looked back at her, his gaze just as confused as hers, just a little more apologetic.  
  
"Your...?" She looked around, realizing that none of the things in the apartment belonged to her. "I...how...I..." She shut her mouth and looked underneath the covers. She gasped when she realized that she was almost completely naked. She pulled the covers back over herself and looked back at Wesley again. "You didn't wake up like that too, did ya?"   
  
Wesley's eyes were full of dread. "Umm...sort of...yes." He looked down at his feet. "Did we...?"  
  
Fred's eyes became wide in realization. "Oh no." She ducked underneath the sheets of the bed and mumbled something.  
  
"What?" He asked, kneeling down at the edge of the bed.  
  
Her head popped up from underneath the covers. "I dreamt that we did. I thought maybe it was just a really detailed dream or somethin'. You know, one of those dreams where it really feels like you're really there? Well...I guess I was..." She blushed.  
  
Wes looked down at his feet. "I'm so sorry, Fred. So sorry." He stood up again and looked around for some clothes that would belong to her. He found none.   
  
//What in the blazes did I do with them?// He thought. He walked into the closet again, this time turning on the light. He searched through some of his clothes which looked a lot older than they used to. Then he turned to look at the other side of the closet. He grabbed what looked like a shirt and walked from the closet with it. He handed it to Fred, who had fashioned a dress for herself from the bedsheets.  
  
"Thank you." She headed into the bathroom to change.   
  
Wesley sat down on the bed and scratched his head. He tried to remember the events of the night before in exact order. None of it was coming to him. Nothing. The only thing he remembered was the baby, then taking Fred to her room and kissing her goodnight. He smiled in reflection of the kiss, having done exactly what he wanted to at exactly the moment he wanted to do it. Then, his mind went blank.  
  
Fred came out of the bathroom. "Wesley? Do you just happen to have nice dresses lying around your closet?" She asked.   
  
He looked up and saw Fred wearing a beautiful yellow sun dress that perfectly complimented her figure. "No...that must be what you came in...even though I don't remember anything."  
  
"I only remember last night with the baby...the kiss..." She blushed, "and then my dream."  
  
Wesley looked at his feet and sat down on the bed as Fred walked toward the door. "I'm sorry, Fred. If it was my fault, I'm sorry."  
  
Fred stopped and turned around. "No, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have...I mean...if I didn't want..." She sighed, "I'm just...still uncomfortable. Something weird is going on. This isn't like either of us. You don't just...sleep with someone after you've only known them for a short while, it's just wrong."  
  
Wesley nervously removed his glasses and began cleaning them. "Right. Wrong." He placed them back on his face, but his hands continued to fidget, his conscience battling itself.  
  
"Wait! Cordelia called! She didn't act surprised that I answered the phone, so she must have known something!" Fred grabbed Wesley's hand and pulled him out the door. 


	3. Disturbing Behavior

Fred stared at the blurred visions of LA that whirled past her eyes. There was nothing else she could do. //What should I say? What should I leave unspoken? Wesley feels guilty, but should he? Was it my fault? What if it was his fault? What if something like Billy had come back?// She licked her upper lip, tasting a bit of her own dried blood. //How did I get this?// She stared out the window some more, trying to clear her confused head.  
  
Wesley tried to concentrate on the road, but his thoughts kept wandering astray. //I can't believe I took advantage of her like that. But...at the same time...I wish I remembered it. I've wanted her for so long...ever since I met her! But did something happen? Did she provoke it? Or did I? Why can't I remember anything?// He ran a hand through his hair as he stopped at a stoplight. He turned and pulled up to the Hyperion, putting the car in park. He sat for only a moment to look at Fred.  
  
"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Fred." He looked down.  
  
"Wes...it's not your fault. It takes two to make a decision like we did. Don't worry about it." She reached over and touched his face with a smile.  
  
Her hands were cold, but he didn't care. He returned the smile and got out of the car, shoving his keys in his pocket. Slowly, he took Fred's hand and made his approach towards the hotel.   
  
Inside, Cordelia was directing Angel on how to hang a sign. "No...hon right...there...yeah." She laughed as Angel almost fell off the ladder and dropped the sign, covering the words.  
  
Wesley cleared his throat, startling both of them. Cordelia turned sharply, dropping her clipboard. Her eyes were wide. "Fred! Wesley! Hi!" She looked at Angel, who was already down the ladder and ripping the sign from the ceiling. "You know, you didn't have to show up until like sevenish..."   
  
Neither of them spoke. They simply stared at Cordelia with open mouths.  
  
"You saw it didn't you?" She pouted, "It was supposed to be a surprise...you ruined it!" She stomped her foot and began to whimper. Angel quickly hugged her.   
  
"It's okay, Cordy. It'll just have to be a less-surprising party." He smiled, holding her close.  
  
"Cordelia..." Wesley took off his glasses and began to clean them. He put them back on and blinked. "Is there...something you...want to tell us?"  
  
Cordy peeked over Angel's shoulder. "Tell you?" Angel stepped back and Cordy walked...rather waddled towards them. She placed one hand on her enlarged stomach and one on her hip.  
  
Fred piped up. "You're pregnant..."  
  
Cordy raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me that I look like a fat cow."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you, Cordy?" Angel called from another room, "You're glowing!"  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Sure. So was Darla..." She said under her breath.  
  
Fred looked at the floor, unsure of what Angel's response to that would be.  
  
"Y'know...sometimes I wish I still had that damn vampire sense of hearing. What did she say?" He asked, coming out with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Wesley, one to Fred.  
  
"Nothing." Wesley blinked again in confusion. He turned to Fred, who was curiously sniffing her coffee. "Can I speak to you for a moment, Fred?"   
  
She nodded, following him to his office. She sipped her coffee on the way. "Good coffee, Angel!" She grinned before being pulled into the office.  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes. Angel wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Those two...they've been so weird lately."  
  
  
Inside the office, Wesley put his coffee down on the desk and sat behind it, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"What's going on?" Fred asked.  
  
Wesley put his glasses back on and raised an eyebrow. "What an excellent question, Fred!" He shook his head and sipped the coffee.  
  
"I'm sorry." She looked down into the caramel colored liquid and sipped it again. "I just thought maybe you knew. I mean, I had seen all along that Angel and Cordelia were very attracted to each other. But what do you suppose is going on?"  
  
"It could be some sort of spell...or maybe a simple misunderstanding!" Wesley laughed.  
  
"It could be an alternate dimension..."Fred stood and began walking around the office. "But it doesn't really feel like one. Maybe we've got amnesia. Or we were really, really drunk and slept for a year."  
  
"Or maybe we're married." Wesley said quietly.  
  
"Maybe it's...what?" Fred walked over to Wesley, who was holding a photograph in his hand of two people smiling on their wedding day.  
  
"We're married, Fred." He looked up at her with his glittering blue eyes. Fred's heart almost melted. She began to wring her hands, then stopped when she realized she was wearing a diamond ring on the fourth finger of her left hand.   
  
"How did I miss this?" She pulled it off and examined it. Inside, it read, "Wesley & Winifred Forever". She sniffled and put it back on, lifting Wesley's hand from the photo. He wore a similar band.  
  
"We're married." 


	4. Living a Nightmare

Part 2  
  
Chapter 4 - Living a Nightmare  
  
"Fred!"   
  
Fred blinked and rubbed her eyes, sitting up. She looked around and blinked again, wondering where she was. It looked slightly familiar.  
  
"Fred! Get up!" Gunn ran into the room, tossing clothes into a bag. He also threw in a few frame-less photographs and a cigar box full of what appeared to be jewelry.   
  
Fred got out of bed and pulled on a nearby shirt, which appeared to be a two or three-year-old amusement park promotional tee. She also found a pair of jeans, which looked way too big for her, and slipped them on. They were too tight. She took a look in the mirror. She was herself...only twenty pounds heavier. Her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in days, and she was generally unclean looking.   
  
"What's going on, Charles?"  
  
"The Police, that's what's going on! The fucking police. Get your fat ass ready to go! And grab Jana!" Gunn screamed, turning to yell at her.  
  
Tears welled up in Fred's eyes. "I don't appreciate that kind of talk, Charles Gunn."  
  
He stepped forward and smacked her, throwing her to the ground in the process.  
  
"Now get up and go! Don't forget the baby!" He picked her up again and practically shoved her though a doorway. The room was dark and quiet, but then she heard a tiny cough.   
  
There was a crib in the corner, one with white bars and a broken mobile above it. It turned slowly in the cold wind that came from a nearby broken window. Fred looked inside to see a tiny baby girl. She was shivering in the cold and her eyes were shut. She must have been asleep. Fred reached over the bars and picked her up, cuddling her against her chest. The baby suddenly began a strangled-sounding cry.   
  
Fred looked into her chocolate brown eyes. They were full of tears, of sadness.   
  
"I'm sorry, Jana. You shouldn't have this life." She laid the baby in the bed and looked down at her a second time. The baby cried louder, coughing in between cries. Fred shut the window gently, then left the room.  
  
"Would you shut that baby up?"  
  
"No."  
  
Gunn stopped, his eyes wild. He stared at her for what seemed like a whole minute. "Do you remember what happened the last time you told me no?"  
  
She shook her head and backed up against the wall. "I'm not going with you this time, Gunn."  
  
He looked out the door, then back at her. "Come on baby...I love you. Please...I need you to help me. You're the best brain I got." He took a step forward, but then police sirens were heard in the background.  
  
"Shit!" He grabbed the bag and ran out the door, slamming it behind him. She listened to his feet running down the stairs. Minutes later, the sirens were louder, and feet were charging up the stairs. The door burst open to find Fred, cowering on the floor. She was crying right along with the baby in the next room.   
  
A woman ran into the baby's room and shushed her, walking out with a blanket wrapped around her. The baby's tiny hand reached out for something to hold onto, as if she were reaching for her mother. She coughed again.  
  
"I don't think she'll make it, James." Said the young woman with the baby to the cop who held a gun steady at Fred.  
  
"These damn people have kids and don't know how to take care of them." He shook his head and stared at Fred. "Why would you do that to a little baby girl? She's half-beaten-to-death, half-starved, and half-dying of pneumonia. God...people these days." He shook his head. "Come on, Mrs. Gunn...you're under the arrest for the murder of Cordelia Chase, Anna Harbor, Rachel Granger, Daniel Westfall, and Wesley Wyndham-Price. You have the right to remain silent..."  
  
Another cop picked her up off the floor, cuffing her immediately. Fred didn't want to hear anymore. She killed Cordy and Wesley. Her two best friends.  
  
***  
  
"Now, Mrs. Gunn...we're going to ask you one more time...where were you on the night of January 24th, 2004?"  
  
Fred shook her head and continued to cry. "I've told you," she sobbed, "I am Winifred Anne Burkle. I live in the Hyperion Hotel. I live there with Cordelia Chase, Wesley Wyndham-Price, Charles Gunn, Angel, and his son. We run Angel Investigations together. That's all. That's all I know. Angel's son was born last night and Wesley put me to bed in my room last night. I woke up and I was in this hell living with Charles. Now you've arrested me...please...I don't know anything and I would never kill anyone." She put her head in her hands and sobbed some more.  
  
"Look up this Angel character. And a kid. Check birth records with the last name Angel in LA during the year before she and Gunn went on the killing spree." The cop ordered to his assistant.  
  
***  
  
"Gunn, Winifred Anne."   
  
Fred looked up, her eyes red and swolen from tears.   
  
"You're cleared and you're out. Take your things at the desk."  
  
Fred walked slowly towards the desk, taking her clothes. "Why are they letting me out? Did they find out what happened to me?"  
  
The lady shook her head. "All we know is that LACSI cleared you and says you weren't present at any of the murders. Sign here."  
  
Fred signed her name, forcing the last part of it, and walked out of the jail. She rubbed her arms, fighting the skin-crawling cold that bothered her. She walked slowly down the streets of LA, taking in the sights of the year in which she was supposedly living. Everything looked the same, all of the same buildings, except for a few. Businesses had come and gone, but the streets were as crowded as usual. A line was formed outside of a club where she recalled once partying with the gang, save for Wesley. She found a church, lit up slightly. The door was open, so she entered.  
  
A man knelt at the foot of the statue of Mary at the end of the sanctuary. He appeared to be crying. His cries were soft, but audible. She walked over towards him slowly.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
The man jumped, turning around to face her. His eyes softened in recognition and he wiped the tears away. "Fred." He sighed her name, as if happy to see her.  
  
"Angel?" 


	5. Pain and Reflection

Chapter 5 - Pain and Reflection  
  
He stood and ran to her, gathering her in his arms. "Oh God...I thought everyone was dead."  
  
"How are you...?"  
  
"I heard that Cordy was murdered while I was away, then Connor kidnapped. I couldn't believe it when Wesley was killed." He stepped backward, still holding onto her shoulders. "Please tell me that Gunn is still alive."  
  
She shook her head, letting a tear fall. "They shot him. He tried to escape. They just told me a few minutes after they arrested me. Then...I saw him dead...he was just laying there...in a puddle of blood...Oh God.." She fell to her knees, hugging Angel's legs. "What happened to us, Angel?"  
  
He knelt. "I don't know. Everything just went wrong at once." He stroked her hair. "I heard you had a child."  
  
She nodded. "I guess I did."  
  
"How is it?"  
  
She shook her head again. "Sick. I didn't know...I didn't know...She's too innocent to die."  
  
He nodded. "So was Connor...but I had to bury my own son anyway."  
  
"Wait..." she stopped crying and stood, taking a step back from him, "how are you here?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? I left because the powers sent me away to become mortal again. I'm a mortal, Fred..." He could see it in her eyes. "You honestly didn't know."  
  
She sat down in a pew. "What are you doing now?"  
  
He smiled slightly and touched the collar around his neck. "Making up for what I did wrong. I'm a priest." Angel took a seat next to her and stroked her hair.   
  
"Gunn killed them. And I think I was there." She took a deep breath and let it out.  
  
"Who?"  
  
She looked straight into his eyes. "Cordy, Connor, Wesley...the other four. Innocent people, all of them. Especially Connor." She shook her head, disbelieving the things that she had supposedly done. "If I tell you something, would you believe me?"  
  
"After a life like mine...I'll believe anything."  
  
***  
  
Fred stood over the graves of the loved ones who she had lost. The stones were cold, hard, reminders of the warm, loving bodies that she once knew. She had thought, for a brief moment in her life that there was a spark of hope between she and Wesley, but she was too shy to make a move. She placed the rose on top of the stone, running her hand over the indentations in the granite.   
  
Wesley Phillip Alexander Wyndham-Price  
B. March 27th, 1967  
D. March 26th, 2003  
"May the Watcher be forever watched in the eyes of God"  
  
"I wrote that." Angel said, stepping up behind her. He offered her a cup of warm hot chocolate.  
  
She nodded and accepted the offering. "I killed him a day before his 36th birthday." She would have cried, but no longer had the strength. "I should have been planning his surprise party. Wesley hated surprises..."  
  
The tall, dark, handsome man rubbed her back gently. "You didn't do it Fred. It's not your fault." He turned her to face him. "I see now that you've learned your lesson."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "What lesson?"  
  
Out of the shadows came a familiar figure. His eyes were red as blood, with matching horns that stuck out of his green forehead. "Hiya, Doll."  
  
Fred's eyes darted back and forth from Lorne to Angel.   
  
"I called him. He knows exactly what's going on." Angel stepped back and let Lorne do the talking.  
  
"Look, babes. The thing was...you and Wesley were dying to get to know each other better. I could read it all over you. Geez...you were at the perfect moment. You should have kissed...but you didn't." He shook his head. "But remember, I'm not always going to be here to help you learn your lessons and sort out your life."  
  
She dropped the hot chocolate, spilling it over the cold snow. "Please, tell me...what lesson?" She stepped towards him.  
  
He smiled his usual green smile and sighed. "Carpe Diem, sweetcakes. Carpe Diem." 


	6. Seize the Day

Chapter 6 - Seize the Day  
  
  
Wesley approached quietly. "Fred...are you alright?" He knelt to her level.  
  
Fred stood up fast, knocking Wesley onto his backside. He held his nose in pain. "Ow." He whispered.  
  
Fred stopped and looked down. She stared at him for a moment as he tried to get up.   
  
"Oh...sorry...just weird Déja Vu." She stooped down to help him up.  
  
He looked up at her, as if remembering something. "Yes...I do believe I'm feeling that too."  
  
They stared once they were both on their feet again.   
  
"Can I walk you to your room?" He wiped away a tear from her eye.  
  
She nodded, not wanting to leave the comfort zone of his calm, blue eyes.   
  
They took the few steps to Fred's door, stopping just outside. She turned and looked at him once again, making a memory of this very moment.  
  
"Fred...I don't know why, but..."  
  
"...this is all so familiar." She smiled as he laughed, pulling off his glasses to clean them.  
  
"Well...goodnight." He turned.  
  
She turned, opening the door to her room. She felt as if someone was sitting on her chest.  
  
"Wesley, wait." She turned, facing him. He hadn't even left.  
  
"I am." He whispered.  
  
Fred touched his cheek, caressing it with her fingertips. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm.   
  
"This is so right, Wes."  
  
He nodded and opened his eyes as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yes, it is." He leaned in and let his lips meet hers in a passionate liaison.   
  
***  
  
The demon known as The Host smiled from the end of the hallway. "Sometimes...destiny needs a little help." He turned and sauntered down the steps, not even watching as the Watcher and the little girl from Texas entered her room and locked the door. 


End file.
